


Emerald Cities and Ruby Slippers

by Engineer104



Series: Royal Flush - a Prompt Fill Collection [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Wizard of Oz Fusion, Angst, Crack, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-06 23:18:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16842430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Engineer104/pseuds/Engineer104
Summary: Hunk wishes for courage, Lance for a brain, and Shiro for a heart.And Pidge (and Keith) just wants to go home.





	Emerald Cities and Ruby Slippers

**Author's Note:**

> And another old fic!! but i remember having fun with this one
> 
> Originally posted [here](https://sp4c3-0ddity.tumblr.com/post/167146336678/wizard-of-oz-au-i-dont-know-about-you-but-hunk)

The Cowardly Lion was having a _very_ bad day. And it wasn’t because the fur along his spine stood on end, no (though that was a contributing factor); it was because the great, haunted fortress with a maelstrom swimming in the sky above housed the notorious Witch.

“We’re gonna die,” the Lion muttered, not for the first time. “We’re gonna die, and I’m never going to get my courage, and I’ll _always_ be the scaredy lion, and–”

“Lion,” interrupted the Scarecrow, peering at him from underneath his wide-brimmed hat, “if you don’t lighten up, I’m going to start believing you.”

The Lion snapped his jaws shut, sharply enough that everyone - except Pidge, who looked far more focused on their destination than the rest - flinched. The dog even went so far as to growl at him from his place in Pidge’s arms. “Sorry,” he mumbled sheepishly.

“We’re all scared, Hunk,” said the Tin Man. He patted him on the back, consoling him. “But if we want our boons from the Wizard, we have to carry on to the castle.”

“Right,” the Lion agreed. But the Tin Man didn’t look scared, and neither did the Scarecrow, or even Pidge, the smallest of them all. No, she only seemed to steel herself more.

“I hope it doesn’t rain,” the Scarecrow said, glancing up at the sky, heavy with thunderclouds. “I won’t be able to move much if my straw gets soaked.”

“I’ll rust over again,” the Tin Man agreed.

“I don’t like getting wet,” the Lion added.

Pidge looked at each of them in turn, eyebrows raised. “I can go in by myself if you’d rather stay out of the path of the storm,” she suggested. When the dog yapped indignantly, Pidge smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll take you with me.”

“If he goes, I go,” the Scarecrow said, frowning at the small dog.

(The Lion didn’t understand why he had it out for the dog; if anyone should dislike him, it should be him, a _cat_. Then again, he wasn’t there when they met, and the Lion saw no reason to fear him, for once.)

“We’ll _all_ go,” the Tin Man interjected before anyone else could snap. “We’re with you, Pidge.”

“Thank you,” she said, smiling at him. But the smile disappeared when her eyes swiveled forward again.

The path wound through fallow fields, black with soot and thick with crows. The Scarecrow scowled at them as if they offended him personally - which, the Lion reasoned, they probably had since he was a _scarecrow_ \- and the dog barked the minute any of them flew too close overhead. Lightning struck in the distance, and thunder rumbled only a few seconds behind, the Lion’s muscles tensing as if to urge him to flee.

_I’m fine,_ he reassured himself. _This is fine._

At least it was fine until they reached the wrought iron gate before the Wicked Witch’s fortress.

“Well,” said Pidge, head tilted back to take in the dark building, which was still quite a distance away, “here goes nothing.” She pushed the unlocked gate open - _there’s no way the Witch is_ expecting _us, right?_ \- and led the way onto the grounds.

“Everything’s so dead,” the Scarecrow observed from beside him.

“The Witch must’ve killed it all,” said the Tin Man worriedly.

“Just like she’ll kill all of us,” the Lion said before he could stop himself.

“Lion!” the Scarecrow whined while the Tin Man pressed a hand to his face.

Pidge, to her credit, looked entirely unaffected by the gloom when she smirked at him. “Don’t worry, Lion,” she said, adjusting her glasses so that the lenses reflected a timely flash of lightning. “I’ll protect you.”

The words hardly left her mouth before a pair of flying monkeys swooped from an upper window and headed straight towards them. “Ah, Pidge!” the Lion cried, reaching for her despite the fear that had his heart trying to leap from his throat.

But the monkeys were faster, and one of them grabbed Pidge under the arms - easily fending off her flying punches - while the other snatched the dog. The pair left before Shiro, who was closest, could retaliate with his hatchet, drifting upwards on swift wings despite the hostages they now held, the dog’s frantic yapping fading as they retreated into the fortress.

“And what are we?” the Scarecrow demanded, waving an angry fist at the fortress. “Dead hay?”

“In your case,” the Lion quipped, “almost.”

The Scarecrow snickered, but his mirth vanished quickly. They both looked to the Tin Man. “Now what?” he asked.

The Tin Man sighed. “We get her out,” he said, “but–”

“Ooh, check it out!” the Scarecrow said, pointing closer to the fortress wall.

The Tin Man opened his mouth, likely to berate him for interrupting an _important_ conversation, but then the Lion spotted what the Scarecrow indicated:

Three figures in hooded cloaks on patrol.

“Disguises?” the Lion said, glancing questioningly at the Scarecrow.

“Disguises,” the Scarecrow said, smirking.

Together they turned to the Tin Man, who smiled and said, “All right, suit up.”

* * *

Somehow, it didn’t shock the Cowardly Lion that Pidge slew the Witch entirely on accident, especially since they didn’t have the opportunity to decide on a fully-fledged plan that would allow them to snatch the Witch’s broomstick from under her nose.

“I wonder if I could fly this thing,” the Scarecrow said while they walked through the Haunted Forest - which didn’t seem so haunted anymore - on their way back to the Emerald City. He held the charred broomstick in his hand - also somewhat charred - and stared at it thoughtfully.

Pidge narrowed her eyes at him. “There _is_ a vacancy for Wicked Witch of the West now,” she said. “Thinking of applying?”

The Scarecrow snorted. “Please, I don’t need a brain to know that’s a _terrible_ idea.”

“What’s so special about those slippers anyway?” the Lion asked, looking down at the glittering red shoes on Pidge’s small feet.

“They’re magic, apparently,” she said, rolling her eyes to show what she thought of that.

“Could _those_ give me a brain?” wondered the Scarecrow, walking backwards so he could face them.

Pidge snickered when he almost tripped over a fallen branch, and then she replied, “I don’t know, _could_ they?”

The Scarecrow shrugged and faced forwards again, but the Lion caught the Tin Man staring wistfully at the slippers more than once on their trek back to the Emerald City.

The slippers were definitely a curiosity, but the Lion wasn’t quite brave enough to take them.

_That’s not bravery,_ he chided himself. _That’s theft._

Still, he wondered what sort of magic the Wizard could possibly work to help him overcome his cowardice. How powerful would he have to be to make the Cowardly Lion _brave_?

* * *

Pidge tore back the curtain and stared at the man called the ‘Great and Powerful Oz’. Gone was the majesty, the mystique, the power - it was all just an illusion, wasn’t it? In fact, if Pidge didn’t know any better, this ginger man with the thick curling mustache looked… _familiar_.

“Who the hell are you?” she asked him.

The man flinched and stumbled backwards into the contraption. “I am the Great and Powerful Oz!” he said, voice not so impressive now that he no longer spoke through a megaphone.

“That’s bull–” The Scarecrow squeaked when the Tin Man shushed him with an elbow to the ribs.

“My name is Coran,” the man that was Oz said with a sigh. “I’m a magician.”

Pidge’s spirits fell, and as she glanced at her companions, she sensed they felt the same. “It doesn’t matter,” Pidge decided, glaring at Coran. “Can you give us what you promised us or not?”

“Hmm.” Coran twirled his mustache. “Perhaps I can.” Before she could argue, he disappeared behind the contraption, and before she could demand to see what exactly he was up to, he returned with a few odd objects in his hand. “For the Scarecrow.”

The Scarecrow stepped forward, mouth turned up into a giddy smile. “Yeah?” he said. “You _do_ have a brain for me?”

“Oh, I have something even better!” said Coran. He unfurled a thick piece of paper and showed it off to them before presenting it to the Scarecrow. “I have a university degree! Now you can say whatever you want and people will have to listen to you, because you have something that _proves_ you have a brain.”

The Scarecrow momentarily looked confused, but then he grinned. “Hey, Lion!” he said, shooting a glance over his shoulder. “I’m a genius like you now!”

“Yeah, of course you are,” said the Cowardly Lion. When he rolled his eyes at Pidge, she stifled a giggle behind her hand while Keith thrashed his tail.

“For the Tin Man,” Coran continued, “I have something that ticks, sort of like a heart.” He held up a fist-sized clock, painted red, and when the Tin Man approached him, he attached it to his chest. “It is strong enough for a metal man, and won’t rust when it rains.”

The Tin Man smiled.

“Oh, no,” said the Scarecrow, leaning towards Pidge to whisper into her ear. “He’s going to cry and rust his face, and we’ll have to oil him up before we can leave.”

“And for the Cowardly Lion,” said Coran.

“Yes?” said the Lion, his voice coming out as a low, almost frightened rumble.

Coran stepped towards him and presented to him a medal with a yellow ribbon. “For you I have a Medal of Valor, for exceptional honor and bravery. Dear Lion, do you know what good you’ve done today?”

“Um.”

“You’ve done good,” said the Scarecrow, clapping him on the back.

“So good,” Pidge agreed, reaching up to pat him on the shoulder.

Even Keith agreed, wagging his tail and barking.

The Lion - proven not so Cowardly after all - grinned and allowed Coran to drop the medal around his neck, where it sat against his chest, the ribbon almost buried in his mane. “Thank you, sir,” he said, clasping his hands together in gratitude.

_You’re all as brainless as the Scarecrow,_ Pidge thought, rolling her eyes as she looked between the Scarecrow, to the Tin Man, and finally the Cowardly Lion. _You already had wit, heart, and courage to spare._ Still, she smiled fondly at them when they turned back to her.

Coran then looked at her, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

“So…what about Pidge?” asked the Scarecrow, resting a hand on her shoulder.

“Yeah, what about Pidge?” echoed the Lion, standing just behind her.

“Where are you from, Pidge?” Coran wondered.

“Kansas,” she told him, “and I’d like to go home. I’m sure my family misses me by now.” How long had it been? She’d lost track of time.

“Oh!” Coran said with a gleeful grin. “I too am from Kansas.”

There it was again, that prickle of familiarity, but her eyes still widened in surprise when she said, “You are?”

“Yes, and I’ve been meaning to visit, so we’ll go home by balloon!”

Pidge stared at him. Really? It was _that_ easy?

“Yes, come along!” said Coran, strolling past them and down the steps. “We’ll get ready straightaway!”

* * *

One grand speech and bout of clumsiness later, and Pidge stood between her new, fantastical friends watching Coran float away in an orange balloon.

“He’s a charlatan,” the Tin Man said.

“At least he was fun,” said the Scarecrow.

“That’s a nice balloon,” said the Cowardly Lion.

Keith yapped, as if his voice alone could call back the drifting balloon.

“That was my way _home_ ,” Pidge bemoaned, feeling angry tears prick her eyes. She collapsed onto the steps, heedless of the crowd that gathered to bid her and the so-called Great and Powerful Oz goodbye. She distantly heard the others sitting around her.

“It’s not so bad here, Pidge,” said the Tin Man.

“Yeah, it could be home for you too,” added the Scarecrow.

“All you need is courage,” agreed the Lion.

Pidge sobbed, their attempted consolation distressing her even more. Never had this adventure felt so permanent, and even Keith’s damp nose pressed comfortingly against her hand didn’t help.

“Pidge,” said the Scarecrow, placing a hand on her shoulder to get her attention.

“W-what?” She looked at him, then followed his gaze towards the sky where Coran and his balloon had disappeared, her eyes falling on a pink bubble that drifted closer and closer until it coalesced into the shape of a familiar woman.

“Pidge,” said Allura, crouching on the floor in front of them, “why is it you cry?”

“My one way home is gone,” Pidge said, struggling to get her words out between her tears. “Oz was a fake, and Coran’s gone in his balloon, a-and–” She sniffled, wiping tears away from her eyes. Something about Allura’s care and composure made her want to emulate her, but the tears still came.

“But you still have a way home,” Allura told her, tapping her chin and tilting her head up to look her in the eye.

Pidge swallowed, her tears shocked dry by tentative hope. “What?” she said.

“The ruby slippers,” said Allura, pointing to her feet. “Why do you think the Witch Haggar wanted them as badly as she did?”

Pidge’s jaw dropped, but she clicked it closed. She stood up, something like anger mingling with her newfound hope, and she clenched her hands into fists. “You’re telling me I could’ve gone home _any time_?” she demanded. “Just as long as I had the _ruby slippers_.”

Allura briefly looked shamed, but she regained her composure. “No,” she said. “Like the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion–”

“Cowardly no more,” the Lion muttered gleefully.

“–you had home within you all along. But you needed to come to realize it.”

“And why didn’t you tell me that _before_ all this nonsense?” Pidge asked.

Allura inhaled, visibly struggling to keep her temper. “Do you not remember why you left home, Pidge?”

She blinked. “I…argued with my mother.” She clutched Keith closer and said, “Keith ‘menaced’ the neighbor’s cat, and I…left.” She stared at her ruby slippered feet. “Oh,” she said lamely. “I want to go home now.”

“Guess we can’t convince her to stay,” said the Scarecrow with an odd two-fingered salute.

“I’ll always remember you,” Pidge promised.

“And us you,” said the Tin Man with a smile.

“Oh, gosh, now _I’m_ going to cry!” said the Lion, reaching up to wipe his face with a furry arm.

Pidge laughed and hugged each of them in turn; Keith also accepted affection from the three of them, even from the Scarecrow.

“What do I do?” Pidge asked Allura once she bid her new friends goodbye.

Allura smiled. “Tap your heels together three times,” she said, “and remind yourself that there’s no place like home.”

“There’s no place like home,” Pidge murmured, clicking her heels together. She closed her eyes and remembered her mother bringing her soup in bed last time she fell ill.

“There’s no place like home.” Her father teaching her how to play chess and promptly demolishing her.

“There’s no place like home.” Matt, showing off his acceptance letter from a university, and chanting that soon he would be an educated man.

When Pidge opened her eyes, it took her several minutes for them to focus on her mother’s anxious face hovering over her. “Mom?” she said.

“Oh, Katie, you’re okay!” Her mother leaned down and kissed her forehead, lips lingering for a moment as if to check her temperature.

“Of course I’m okay,” Pidge said, eyes wide and confused. She realized she lay in bed and struggled to sit up. “Where’s Keith?”

“I…” Her mother glanced towards her bedroom door - when did she get there? - and said, “Shiro’s taking care of him while we get this problem sorted out with Honerva.”

Pidge blinked, then smiled. “You mean you won’t have him put down?”

“What? Of course not! I’m very sorry we let Honerva convince us, Katie, especially since it convinced _you_ to run away in the middle of a tornado!”

Her memory of what happened before she landed in Oz slowly trickled back, but before she could question her mother further someone knocked on the door.

“Who is it?” her mother called.

“It’s me,” said Matt from the other side. “Can I come in?”

“Yes!” Pidge replied before her mother could.

Matt opened the door and stepped into her room, his face splitting into a relieved smile when he caught sight of her awake and healthy. “Pidge!” he said, standing beside their mother. “How are you feeling?”

“A little tired,” she admitted. “And confused.” She rubbed her head, noting an ache in her temple for the first time.

“I talked to Lance and Hunk yesterday while you were still…out of it,” Matt said. “And they were wondering if they could visit.”

“Yeah, sure,” said Pidge. Out of it? “How long was I asleep?”

“Only a day,” said her mother, “but it was a very _long_ day.”

_A dream,_ Pidge thought, sinking into her pillow with a heavy realization. _Was it all a dream?_

Matt and her mother left her to rest after another five minutes, but when Pidge turned onto her side she found herself unable to sleep. It only got worse when Lance and Hunk paid a visit.

“You!” she said, shooting upright and pointing at Lance. “And you!” She pointed at Hunk.

“So you missed us even in your dreams?” Lance quipped with a smirk.

“Oh, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” she said, pushing hair out of her face.

“Try me,” said Lance, pulling up a chair. “I’m sure it’ll entertain me, at least.”

Hunk sat on the edge of her bed. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, Pidge,” he said.

“No,” said Pidge, flashing a smile at them. “It was strange enough that I actually don’t want to forget, so listen closely, because I won’t tell it twice.”


End file.
